My love for movies is matched only by my love for music. And as a
music-lover, I've always been fascinated by something to which most people pay
little attention -- album sequencing. I would guess that the average person just
assumes that the songs on an album are put in a random order, but, in most
cases, a great deal of thought is put into how the tracks are laid out, with a
goal of creating a dramatic experience which maintains the listener's interest.
With this, I've always felt that an album's opening track has to be a powerful
song which will grab the listener by the throat and lay the groundwork for what
to expect from the rest of the record. Similarly, a movie must have a strong
beginning which draws in the viewer and makes them want to keep watching. This
has always been important, but it's even more of an imperative in today's world
where we have so many choices. The Dark fails on this front, as it
presents a truly lackluster beginning. Does that mean that the rest of the movie
is a failure?

The Dark begins with Josef Hofer (Karl Markovics) stopping at a secluded
gas station, committing a crime, and then driving to an isolated house in a neck
of the woods known as Devil's Den. We assume that Josef is there to lay low, but
his reprieve is cut short when he meets Mina (Nadia Alexander), the house's sole
occupant. Mina doesn't take kindly to visitors, something which Josef quickly
learns. This nuance aside, Mina is very interested in the human cargo in Josef's
car. Once she investigates this, she embarks on a journey which will help to
restore her humanity.

(Warning: Major Spoilers Ahead)

I realize that the above synopsis is very vague, but that's because The
Dark takes a big turn in the first act and I didn't want to give it away for
those who want to be surprised. Again, the first several minutes of the movie do
not pique the viewer's curiosity. Yes, some things happen -- Josef drives, an
incident occurs at the gas station -- but we have no idea who Josef is -- save
for the fact that he's a wanted criminal -- or what he's doing. Once he begins
to wander around a dilapidated house, one begins to wonder if The Dark
even has a story. (This is the point where my wife gave up and I can see other
viewers doing this as well.) But, it you've made it this far, stick around as
the movie soon reveals itself to be a quirky and unique experience.

As noted above, Mina lives in the house. But, she's no normal girl. In fact,
it's implied that she's a zombie. (We never learn this for sure.) In Josef's
car, Mina finds Alex (Toby Nichols), a teenaged boy who can't see due to the
scar tissue (?) which covers his eyes. It's clear that Mina has been alone for
quite some time, as she has no social skills, but she feels a desire to help
Alex. However, he doesn't want to be helped, as he continuously asks about
Josef, who we assume damaged the boy's eyes. Thus begins a bizarre quest, as
Mina tries to get Alex back to civilization.

The Dark is one of those movies which defies genre classification. We
have what appears to be a zombie and a boy who's been disfigured, so one would
want to categorize it as a horror movie, but that doesn't feel right. If
anything, the movie skews more towards a drama, as these two damaged individuals
are placed in a desperate situation and form an odd relationship. While we don't
learn much about Alex, we do get to see Mina's backstory, which is quite tragic.
Mina's history and Alex's actions explore some interesting questions concerning
abuse and how people react to abuse. Mina could have easily been a
one-dimensional character, but she's revealed to be quite complex and we begin
to awkwardly root for her. Once the story arrives, the movie is well-paced and
goes by very fast. Writer/Director Justin P. Lange based The Dark on his
own short film (which really should have been included on this DVD) and kudos to
him for crafting a film which I can honestly say that I haven't seen before.
I'll be interested to see what he comes up with next. And I hope that movie has
a better opening.

The Dark is like a PSA for why you shouldn't squat on DVD courtesy of
Dark Sky Films. The film has been letterboxed at 2.35:1 and the transfer is
enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs. The image is very sharp and clear, showing no overt
grain and no defects from the source materials. Despite the films title, this is
not no overly dark movie, as the action is always visible. The colors look
realistic. The image is somewhat soft at times and the depth is OK. The DVD
carries a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track which provides clear dialogue and sound
effects. The surround effects work well, most notably when Josef first arrives
at the house, and there is good use of stereo effects which police dogs are in
the woods. The mix is nicely-balanced, and the whispering doesn't require any
volume adjustment.